Which small instrument, Uke or Mando?

[sunvalleylaw]

I have an interest in getting a small stringed instrument that can be tied to a back pack or thrown in the canoe, etc. This came up as I was heading out a a yurt the other day, and wanted to bring something to play that was cheap and fun.

Uke or Mando. Which would you get and why?


Side question, "Which one is more consistent with getting better at guitar?"


I tend to like the sound of a mandolin more, and love the sound of a mando in a group, but would be open to a uke if it was more applicable to improving on guitar. Maybe neither is. Anyhoo, your vote please? If you have a suggestion as to good, cheap, ukes or mandos, please share! If I get something, it is going to travel and get banged around some.

 

[poodlesrule]

No expert, but a local Uke guy puts together a mini Uke festival every year, and from what I have seen, it is quite versatile. Blues, even: look up Manitoba Hal on his site, manitobahal dot com.

 

[oldguy]

I vote uke.
Reasons?

I bought my little grandkids each one when they came to visit this fall.
Knowing nothing about ukes, my son and I googled tuning and chord diagrams for the things.
We were playing songs about 5 minutes later. Great fun, easy to learn, and they sound cool!

Plus 4 strings to change versus 8, easier (to me, at least) to finger the fretboard, and generally not as expensive as a similar quality mandolin.

 

[Algonquin]

For the useage you've described Steve, I'd have to say go with the Uke. I've got more of an itch for a Mandolin, but a decent intro level instrument here cost's upwards of $400. Have a look at the Yamaha Guitalele GL-1 if you're looking for more of a guitar based instrument.

 

[riverrick]

Been wanting to get a Uke for some time now. Just haven't pulled the trigger. Don't know that much about the different types. One of these days for sure.

 

[markb]

I'd choose a uke (but then I did). Here's why:

The ukulele is tuned to the same intervals as the top 4 strings of a guitar a fourth up so it's like playing a small guitar with a capo at the 5th fret. The 4th string is tuned an octave higher than you'd expect (aka re-entrant tuning) but if it freaks you out you can swap it for a low G. If you persevere with the high g you'll find all sorts of nice melodic runs and arpeggios across the strings. Ukuleles are a blast to play and adapt to a number of guitar styles. A decent all solid timber uke can be had for peanuts but a laminated model might be best for camping trips. I have a Kala laminated mahogany tenor. It's amazingly good for the 90 odd quid it cost. Equivalent (smaller) soprano and concert models are even cheaper. You can even get an all plastic model from Kala if you want total weather resistance. They don't sound at all bad either. Finally, as a guitarist you'll be at home more quickly.

Mandolins are quite a different instrument. Tuned like a fiddle and best played with a flatpick. It could improve your right hand technique especially if you learn the tremolo tuning thing.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Mando is a beautiful instrument, and I do itch for one some day. But I think for the reasons Markb and David stated (and OG), the uke is a better choice. I think where I am in learning I should reinforce what I am learning about the fretboard rather than confuse it. Plus I think I can get into some good rhythm stuff on a uke and improve that side of my playing.

My acoustic jam that is starting up again is a good place to pick up mando playing, with the fiddle tunes and folk that are selected there. but again, I can do my flatpicking on my Martin there, keep working on those skills, and leave the mando playing to the others that are already good at it for now.

Mark, thanks for the suggestions on the ukes to look at. (like this? http://www.amazon.com/Kala-KA-T-Mahogany-Tenor-Ukulele/dp/B00172UVAO ) David, I will check out that guitalele thing too. (like this? http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-GL-1-G...cal-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1324583388&sr=1-1 can you tune it using standard tuning?)

 

[Algonquin]

I will check out that guitalele thing too. (like this? http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-GL-1-G...cal-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1324583388&sr=1-1 can you tune it using standard tuning?)

It's tuned as a guitar would be if capo'd at the 5th fret...

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Checked those out, and found this vid:




I think this might be the best bet. You can tune it standard, but left tuned as designed, it plays as a guitar with a capo on the 5th, like Mark was saying. Basically, you get a uke on the bottom four strings, and add a couple bass strings. It is $9 less than the Kala tenor uke, so I don't see why not just to get it instead. Seems to sound ok for my purposes camping, beaching it, and what not, plus I can keep using the same theory I have been working on rather than confuse myself with the mando. That can come later.

 

[bcdon]

Nothing is more metal than Cowboys From Hell, even on the Ukulele! :dude